The substantial environmental toll of personal automobiles could have been significantly reduced, by upwards of 30% in the previous ten years, if not for the international preference for hefty vehicles, suggested by a fresh analysis from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative.
Attributing to over half of total new auto acquisitions globally are sports utility vehicles or SUVs, as highlighted by the organization, an observation echoed by the International Energy Agency which, through a stricter description of SUVs, calculated their share at almost 50%.
With time, these vehicles have expanded in size, thereby elevating their ecological expense, given that carbon dioxide discharges are “nearly directly proportional to fuel usage” in combustion engine vehicles. The carbon inserted at the refueling station emerges from the exhaust.
Transport means are culpable for around a quarter of all energy-related greenhouse gases leading to global warming, many of which are from cars intended for personal use, as per the International Energy Agency.
The adverse impact on the environment due to SUVs could have lessened by over a third between 2010 and 2022, had consumers simply maintained their habit of purchasing similarly sized autos, based on the initiative, a worldwide coalition advocating for more environmentally sound vehicles.
A potential solution for this conundrum are battery-powered vehicles.
Devoted jogging enthusiast George Parrott, at the age of 79, residing in West Sacramento, California, resolved to switch to more environmentally friendly automobile alternatives in 2004 by obtaining a Toyota Prius hybrid. He has since been through several all-electric models, currently possessing a Genesis GV60 electric SUV along with a Tesla Model 3.
“It was really a melding of widespread environmental worries,” he articulated.
Parrott with his late companion were also conscious that their locality was positioned prominently on the polluted cities chart by the American Lung Association. “We were committed to doing whatever possible to limit our influence on air purity here in the Sacramento community,” he commented.
Not all purchasers consider energy consumption and ecological merits identically, particularly within the U.S. Although EVs constituted 15% of the worldwide vehicle market the previous year, they were just 7.3% in the U.S.
Concurrently, smaller autos, or sedans, have conceded much influence in the U.S. market over the last decade. In 2012, sedans represented 50% of the U.S. car sales terrain, with SUVs slightly over 30%, and trucks at 13.5%, as obtained from automotive shopping guide Edmunds. Come 2022, the U.S. sedan segment declined to 21%, while SUVs surged to 54.5% and trucks expanded to 20%.
“People refuse to be confined by the capacity of their vehicle,” declared Eric Frehsée, head of the Tamaroff Group of dealerships in southeast Michigan. “Everyone desires a 7-seater.”
Hefty SUVs including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Toyota Sequoia, or Nissan Armada boast highway fuel efficiencies of 28, 24, and 19, respectively. Nonetheless, the most economical SUVs will still lag behind sedans in efficiency because SUVs bear significantly more weight. A sign of headway, nevertheless, is that modest-sized SUVs, like Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V (boasting 35 and 34 miles-per-gallon on the highway, correspondingly), are now at the forefront of the U.S. SUV market, comprising approximately 18% of the new vehicle sales of last year.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are intensifying efforts to better fuel efficiency and curb emissions in internal combustion vehicles. These schemes may tackle SUVs, which has the sector on edge.
Until lately, buyers had a limited selection of electric variants if they sought to mitigate their individual transport footprint. The initial wave of electrified automotive offerings were predominantly sedans, especially in the high-end category.
A swelling number of carmakers are introducing larger electric vehicle models, but these might necessitate heftier batteries. The environmental aspect must also be considered when swapping an SUV for an electric variant, commented Loren McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of market research company EVAdoption. “Merely electrifying doesn’t make much difference unless we also concentrate on the mass and efficiency of these automobiles, in addition to smaller battery arrays,” McDonald stated.
The auto industry is hastening the refinement of battery technology to diminish battery dimensions and the required quantities of essential minerals.
Data such as that from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative are poised to be of great relevance at the upcoming COP28 U.N. climate summit next week.
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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press reporter focusing on climate remedies. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alexa_stjohn.
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The Associated Press’ reporting on climate and the environment is supported by various private donors. Learn more about the AP’s climate strategy here. The agency is entirely accountable for the content.
